June 2017

Circle Dance

Adult £156 (a room in the main farm house is £20 extra, or £15 per person extra for twin/double/triple occupancy, please request on booking).

with…

Dee Voce and Nawal Gadalla

As we join hands in a circle to dance, we experience community. The dances are varied – for instance, we may do a simple earthy village dance from Greece or Eastern Europe, a celebratory choreographed modern one, or a profoundly spiritual one to a piece of Celtic or classical music. However, wherever the dance is from, it is what it brings to the circle “in the moment” that brings the joy, energy, connection, release, peace and healing. Circle Dancing both creates and expresses the group mood. And the music, which comes from all over the world, is fantastic!

We hope to encourage both experienced and new dancers to this weekend. A feeling for movement is a help, and yes, there are steps to learn, but we will be repeating the dances over the weekend, as well as dancing to some live music from Dee and Nawal. At least one session will be gentler meditation dances up in the Hayloft.

Saturday afternoon will be free time, to relax, walk or have sauna.

Dee and Nawal teach circle dance nationally and internationally. Their style is clear, inclusive, profound yet playful. They are delighted to return to Lower Shaw after a gap of 30 years.

Booking has closed for this event

Yoga and Massage

Date:

Thu 8 – Sun 11 June

Price:

£195 (a room in the main farm house is £20 extra, or £15 per person extra for twin/double/triple occupancy, please request on booking). • Option to arrive Friday evening £156.00

with…

Mary Mcinerney and Mary Maguire

This is a much-requested, one-day-longer version of the Yoga and Massage Weekend!

A rejuvenating weekend and a chance to unwind.

Yoga works not only on the body but also calms and sharpens the mind and leads to all-round alertness.

Iyengar Yoga will be taught in a way that is suited to beginners and more experienced practitioners. The classes will focus on postures to improve flexibility, strength, and balance.

The weekend will also include sessions on giving and receiving a relaxing and toning massage, covering different areas of the body.

On Saturday there will be an early morning Pranayama (breath control) class, then following breakfast, a two hour asana (postures) class, and a massage class. After lunch the options are to relax at the farm, use the rustic sauna, or go on a led walk in the local countryside. In the late afternoon there is a choice between a restorative asana session, and a massage class.

In the evening there will be either a guided meditation, foot baths, or time to relax around the wood burning stove. On Sunday morning, the programme will be the same as Saturday’s, with a late lunch. Departures during the afternoon, from about 3pm.

June Working Weekend

Date:

Fri 16 – Sun 18 June

Price:

No charge

This is a chance to get to know the farm, turn your hand to old jobs and new, enjoy good company and good food too!

An opportunity to have bright ideas by the compost heap, happy talk in the hen house, and cool chat in the kitchen. Join us to prove that many hands make light work and that today’s stranger is tomorrow’s friend.

Our Working Weekends are run in the beautiful spirit of the WWOOF organisation: we feed and accommodate you, you work, with us.

Open Gardens

Date:

Sat 24 and Sun 25 June

Price:

£4 per adult, with accompanied under 17s free

As part of the West Swindon Open Gardens Weekend, we will be opening ours! This is an opportunity to wander around the large organic vegetable and fruit garden, visit the sheep, pigs, poultry, and the red Nuffield Universal ’52 tractor, and then relax on the front lawn in front of our lovely 18th century listed farmhouse.

Please note that the play barn won't be open this weekend.

Wildflowers of Wiltshire

Date:

Fri 30 – Sun 2 July

Price:

£156 (a room in the main farm house is £20 extra, or £15 per person extra for twin/double/triple occupancy, please request on booking).

with…

Patrick Harding

Patrick will lead us to a range of habitats. These include chalk downs, meadows, and woodland. We will walk slowly and have time to locate, identify, photograph, and enjoy splendid native summer flowers.

From orchids on the downs to yellow rattle in the hay meadows, there will be floral folk tales and tips about their medicinal and culinary uses.

In the evenings, there will be flowery slide shows, and books to peruse. An introduction will be given to plant identification, and in particular, to recognising the most common plant families.

Dr Patrick Harding is an expert in the field of flora and fauna. He is the author of numerous books on natural history topics, and a regular broadcaster on radio and television.